AUTHORS POV

The room was draped in heavy shadows, save for the thin, cold sliver of moonlight filtering through the gap in the curtains. Abhimanyu’s eyes snapped open with a jolt. He didn’t reach for the lamp; he already knew the time. He glanced at the digital clock—4:12 AM.

Insomnia had become a permanent shadow, a silent thief that stole his rest night after night. His eyes were bloodshot, and a dull ache throbbed behind his temples. While the rest of the world drifted in dreams, Abhimanyu was trapped in the loud, echoing silence of his own mind.

He walked towards the homegym doing his workout. His mind was restless. The conversation he had with his mom was still fresh and present in his mind.

1 week ago. in his room. At night

He was sitting on the couch checking some mails. Kaira was fast asleep on the bed, curled up like a baby, she is. Just then her mother enter without knocking the door.

"Beta kuch baat karni thi" his mother spoke politely. Aware about the walls he has build so high.

"Haan. Bolo" he said without looking up.

"Puri baat suna, pehele mujhe pura bolne dena fir tum kuch bolna" his mother said softly, hand on his head.

" Kya baat h maa" he asked now more attentive. He knew that his mother would never just came and talk like this. Something is definitely troubling her.

" Beta aaj jab kaira school se aai toh wo bhut udas lg rai thi. Mene usko uske fav. Juice or chocolate bhi offer kiye pr usne sab ko mna kr diya. For mene pucha ki beta kya chaiye kya hua. Toh kaira ne bola ki usko mmi chaiye mene usse pucha aachank se kya hua toh usne kha ki aaj mere friend ko uske mmi papa doono lene aayegthe usko forehead kiss bhi dia. Beta mujhe lgta h ki ab tumhe ek baar wapas shaddi ke bare me sochna chaiye. Tumhare liye nai toh kaira ke liye. Usko bhi toh maa ka pyaar chaiye hoga. Or yeh baat ko me bhut aachse feel krsakti hu beta. Please kaira ke liye ke baar shaadi ke bare me wapas socho." His mother said. After saying this her eyes was moist.

"Maa " abhimanyu said wiping her tears.

" Me kabhi shadi ke bare me soch he nai sakta hu maa. Mene bas ek baar ek ladki ko payar kia tha pr usne mujhe esi jagh la kr chod dia ki ab me wapas soch he nai sakta. Or rahi baat kaira ki me uske liye maa baap bhai behen sab hu. Me uspe kabhi ek karoch bhi nai aane dungi. Usko maa ki kami kabhi mehsus nai hone dunga." He said. Eyes fixed on kaira.

"Beta jise tum payar bol rahe ho wo payar nai hai. Kya tumhe kabhi bhi mann hua ki tum office se jaldi aao ya ghr pr aakr or usse baate karo usko apne din ke bare me yaa tumhe kuch alag sa lga. btao. Beta maa ki kami es duniya me maa ke alawa koi bhi puri nai kr sakta. Me janti hu, mene feel kia hua h. " his mother asked and explain.

"Nahi maa yeh bass kahaniyon me hota h. Me kaira ko dard me nai dekh sakta." he said.

" Dekha jab payar hota h tab sab kuch alag sa lagta h, ghr aane aane ki jaldi rehti h, yeh sab kahaniyon me nai aasli payar me bhi hota h. Pr jab usko maa ki jarurat hogi or tab uske pass maa nai hogi tab usse or bura lagega beta." his mother replied. Abhimanyu again looked at kaira. Thinking again.

"Beta please shaddi ke liye haan krdo." His mother requested.

"Thik h maa aapke jaisa aacha lge me kuch nahi bolunga. Pr me meri beti ki aakho me aasu nai aane dunga." He replied

"Thankyou beta me tumhare liye esi he patni dhundugi" his mother replied. After wishing him good night she went away.

Next day

Everyone was seated on the dinning table having there breakfast. Kaira with her chachu and bhua, was talking and giggling. As Reyansh and sakshi was making fun of each other. This peaceful moment was broken by devika, his mother

"Beta I have found a girl for you. Look" saying this she passed a photograph.

"Maa aapko jaisa thik Lage aap wesa Krna. Me siddha unse shadi Wale din he milunga. Me yeh shadi bass aapki or kaira ki khushi ke liye kr rha hu." Saying this he got up. Taking Kaira's bag in one and kaira on the other. He went out

"Hey bagwan bas sab aacha he Krna." Her mother prayed SILENTLY behind him.

Present day

He was lost in his deep thoughts while showering. Comming out of his thoughts he came out of the bathroom. Wearing his white shirt with black pants a blazer in his one arm. Kiara was downstairs with her grandmother.

He came down sat on the dinning table. Everyone greeted him and replied with a nod.

"Beta kl hame shopping ke liye jana h. Or 2 din baad ham niklege. Shadi ke liye 2 din baad 4 din ka schedule clear krlena." His mother said calmly. He nodded.

"Waise beta kya tumne apni hone wali wife se baat ki" his chachi asked.

" Nahi" he replied.

"Unromantic " Reyansh mummerd loud enough for everyone to hear. Abhimanyu gave him a glare.

" Mazak mazak" he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Kaira giggled looking at him.

"Ham kha jayege 2 dinke baad" kaira asked unaware of the chos around her.

"Beta aapke papa ki shadi me" his chacha ji replied this time. While kaira giggled.

" Chalo baby. School ka time hogya" saying this abhimanyu took kaira and her bag and went off. To drop her school. He went to his office.

At night, the dinning table was buzzing with excitement about the shaadi. Kaira was with her chachu and bhua. Abhimanyu, doing his work in his study. His mother and Chachi has made all arrangements for Tommorows shopping spree.

The next morning, the sun streamed through the large, arched windows of the Rathore dining room. The smell of fresh coffee and toasted bread filled the air. Abhimanyu sat at the head of the long oak table, looking sharp in a navy blue suit, checking his emails on his tablet.

Kaira was sitting next to him, busily swinging her legs and trying to feed a small piece of pancake to her imaginary friend. Opposite them sat abhimanyu’s mother, Devika, the elegant matriarch of the house, who managed the family’s home with the same grace abhimanyu managed his company.

"Abhimanyu," his mother said, setting her teacup down with a soft click. "Don't fill your evening with back-to-back meetings today beta."

Abhimanyu looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something important, Maa?"

"Yes," she replied with a firm but loving smile. "Your wedding is approaching, and we haven't finalized the sherwani for you yet. Plus, Kaira needs a new dress for the ceremony. We are all going to the mall at 4:00 PM sharp today. So, make sure you are ready."

Abhimanyu sighed, though he couldn't help but smile at the thought of kaira in her new dress with fountain ponytail. He knew there was no arguing with his mother when it came to family duties, weather he liked it or not. "4:00 PM. I’ll make sure my assistant clears my afternoon schedule."

"Yay! Mall! Papa, can we get ice cleam too?" Kaira squealed, clapping her sticky hands together.

"We’ll see, Princess," abhimanyu chuckled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. But inside he was feeling a not at all happy. He don't want to marry again, go though that same cycle.

As he drove Kaira to school that morning, his mind was split. He was thinking about the big merger meeting at 11:00 AM, the shopping trip at 4:00 PM.

The evening sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the city as abhimanyu finally wrapped up his last meeting at Rathore Enterprises. He checked his watch—it was nearly 4:15 PM. He was running a bit late, but he knew his family was already at the mall.

The mall was alive with a gentle hum of activity. Shoppers moved between high-end boutiques, and the scent of freshly roasted coffee drifted through the air. Kaira was having the time of her life, skipping between her Chachu and her Bua. They were laughing, trying on silly hats, and keeping the little princess entertained while they waited for the "big boss" to arrive.

Suddenly, the automatic glass doors slid open, and a sense of authority seemed to enter the room.

Abhimanyu stepped into the mall, looking every bit the powerful CEO. He was still in his sharp Navy Blue suit, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke in a low, firm tone to an important client.

"I understand the terms, but we need the final draft by Monday morning," abhimanyu said, his eyes scanning the crowd for his family. "No, there will be no further extensions on the project timeline. Send the files to my assistant."

Even while multitasking, abhimanyu’s presence was hard to miss. He moved with a confident stride, his face set in a serious, professional expression. People naturally stepped aside as he walked past, intimidated by his focused energy.

He finally spotted Kaira’s bright pink dress near a large fountain in the center of the mall. He ended the call, tucked his phone into his pocket, and for the first time that day, the stern lines on his face relaxed into a genuine smile as he saw his daughter waving her tiny hands at him.

The children’s section of the designer boutique was a sea of pastel silks and shimmering net fabrics. Abhimanyu walked over to Kaira, who was currently twirling in front of a mirror, much to the amusement of her Chachu, Reyansh, and her Bua, Sakshi.

"Alright, Princess, let’s see what we have here," abhimanyu said, crouching down to her level. The serious businessman was gone; now, he was just a dad on a mission.

He began browsing through the rack of miniature lehengas and gowns. "What do you think of this one, Sakshi?" he asked, holding up a delicate rose-gold dress with intricate floral embroidery.

"Oh, that’s stunning, Bhai!" Sakshi exclaimed, taking the dress to show Kaira. "It matches the theme perfectly."

Meanwhile, Reyansh was busy making Kaira laugh by putting a tiny tiara on his own head. "Look, Kaira! Am I a princess too?"

"No, Chachu! You're a silly king!" Kaira giggled, her tiny hand covering her mouth.

"Kaira, babyy you should not sleep with your papa. Unki trh mujhe roast kr rahi hu ab" Reyansh said loud enough for sakshi to hear. Who burst into laughter.

While the siblings bickered playfully over which color suited Kaira best—Reyansh voting for a bright "superhero" red and Sakshi insisting on royal blue—the elders were on the other side of the store. Abhimanyu’s mother, father, chachi , chacha were busy looking at heavy silk sarees and formal wear for the men, occasionally calling out to abhimanyu to check a fabric or a design.

Abhimanyu stood there for a moment, surrounded by his family's chatter and his daughter's laughter. For a man who spent his day in high-pressure boardrooms, this was the only place he felt truly at peace. He picked out a few more options—a soft cream sherwani for the smaller functions and a vibrant lehenga for the wedding night—making sure Kaira would be the star of the show.

The boutique was getting a bit too loud with Reyansh’s jokes and the elders debating over silk patterns. Abhimanyu's phone vibrated in his pocket—a high-priority call from an international client.

"I'll be right back," he murmured to Sakshi, stepping away from the racks of tiny dresses. He walked toward the quieter corridor near the store's entrance, his eyes fixed on the screen as he swiped to answer. "Yes, this is Rathore. I've reviewed the merger clauses..."

He was so focused on the legal jargon that he didn't notice the slender figure turning the corner in a hurry.

CRASH.

The impact was sudden. Before the girl could fall backward onto the polished marble floor, abhimanyu’s instincts kicked in. His powerful arm shot out, his hand firmly catching her by the waist to steady her. In the same breath, she reached out to balance herself, her small hand pressing flat against the center of his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart.

Time seemed to stutter and stop.

The girl was wearing a silk mask that covered the lower half of her face, hiding her shock. But her eyes—they were impossible to miss. They were a stunning, clear honey-brown, framed by long, dark lashes that fluttered in surprise.

Abhimanyu stood frozen. He was a man who always had an answer, but looking into those warm, golden-brown eyes, he found himself momentarily speechless. The scent of jasmine and vanilla drifted from her, a sharp contrast to the sterile, air-conditioned smell of the mall.

He didn't realize he was still holding her waist, and she didn't realize her hand was still resting on his expensive suit jacket. For a few heartbeats, the bustling mall, the ringing phone in his other hand, and his waiting family all faded into the background. All he could see were those honey-brown eyes looking back at him with a mixture of confusion and something he couldn't quite name.

The world around them seemed to blur into a hum of distant voices and bright store lights. Abhimanyu felt the warmth of her hand through his crisp dress shirt, right where his heart was thudding against his ribs. His own hand was firm around her waist, holding her steady as if she were the most fragile thing in the world.

Because of the mask, he couldn't see her face, but those honey-brown eyes were mesmerizing. They were wide with a mix of shock and a sudden, quiet realization. For a second, abhimanyu forgot about the high-stakes merger call still active on his phone. He forgot about the dresses he was supposed to pick for Kaira. All he could focus on was the depth in those golden-brown eyes.

"I... I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice muffled by the fabric of her mask but still sounding soft and musical.

The sound of her voice acted like a sudden jolt. Abhimanyu blinked, realizing he was still holding her. He slowly loosened his grip on her waist, and she quickly withdrew her hand from his chest, smoothing down her outfit with a nervous gesture.

"It’s alright," abhimanyu replied, his voice regaining its usual deep, commanding tone, though there was a hint of something softer underneath. "I wasn't looking where I was going either."

She gave a small, hurried nod—a gesture of apology—and before he could ask if she was okay or even see her face, she turned and disappeared into the crowd of shoppers near the elevators.

Abhimanyu stood there for a moment, the scent of her perfume still lingering in the air. He looked down at his chest, where the warmth of her palm had been just seconds ago. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and brought the phone back to his ear.

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